Homemade Finger Exerciser – Video Tutorial

Below is a new video tutorial that shows how to build and use an inexpensive finger exerciser. I first built this tool approximately five years ago and continue to use it regularly. It is perhaps my favorite tool for training individual fingers and thumbs. You’ll find it easy to build and quite challenging even with light weights.

For more homemade equipment ideas, please refer to the archive section within the forum:

Looks great. I was thinking it might be better to make the board at 90 degrees to increase the weight as the pinch closes. At this angle does the weight get lighter as in moves closer to vertical or is it too little to notice.

@Tianfeng – Trust, you won’t notice. After having athletes use this for 5+ years, I’d guess that most people who first try struggle with 2.5 pounds with single fingers or a thumb.

One of the best lines I heard from a pro athlete who tried it the first time was him describing the soreness on day one as a feeling of getting his fingers caught in a car door. I believe that was with only 3.5 pounds.

As a 200+ Pound rock climber I am always thinking about grip strength. I was not thinking about the huge amount of weight but that the closer the pinch got to closed the weight was having more gravity pull on it instead of less. But I haven’t used something like this so I thought it might not make a difference at all.

I am looking for something along these lines because all of the regular grip strength for rock climbers tends to lead to more hand and tendon injuries with my weight.

I am going to build one tonight and give it a shot. Thanks for the great ideas.

I’ve become fascinated with hand & grip strength lately for some reason. Never invested a lot of time in it before, but as a side note it was said the late Wilt Chamberlin could palm a bowling ball. Don’t know the actual weight of the bowling ball but if that would take some extraordinary grip strength. Remember back when Ali was stripped from fighting and at one time they were trying to promote an Ali vs Wilt Chamberlin boxing match. They showed the size difference between Wilt’s hands and Ali’s and it was incredible. Chamberlin’s hands dwarfed Ali’s hands. It would have truly been a David vs Goliath, but I still say Ali wins.

You could likely make your own light weight by filling a bag with sand. You won’t need more than a few pounds. The other option is to shorten the length of the tool. As the weight inches closer to your hand, you’ll be able to handle more weight.